Quick Question about karma and Xp Penalties

[marcellus]

Hello New Guy here, 
I'm not sure I understand Karma, wishes and XP penalties.

1) Is Karma gained as points somehow or does 1 XP point = a karma point.

2)I'm assuming that re-rolling a dice set has to do with skills and combat. Is this what is meant by re-rolling a dice set? 

3) When would a character have to pay an XP penalty and why? 

4) Where do wishes come from? Are they granted by the referee or are they in the micro-games?


Thanks in advance.

[jonathan1971]

Karma points are handed out during the adventure unless you have a bard. You usually get them as a reward from an NPC. With my bard I've been playing that he rolls 3d6 IQ for karma per day. I've only played a couple of adventures and they are more like campaigns and not one off adventures.

I don't think you can buy Karma with xp. I read it as the other way around.

I haven't run across any wishes in the adventures yet. I believe they are handed out like karma points from NPC's.

hope that helps.

[marcellus]

Okay thanks, are bards detailed in the rules or in one of the micro games?

[jonathan1971]

It's a skill in the main rules.

[marcellus]

Thank you, I found it five seconds after I posted the question.

[mister frau blucher]

Hey, guys,

Thanks for stepping in, Jonathan! Your answers are all on point!

Marcellus, Karma and (more rarely) Wishes are acquired during the course of play in our adventures. They are usually gained by completing a difficult or righteous task.

I am trying to remember where xp penalties come in, but am drawing a blank. That probably means it is something I wrote! Can you cite an example for me?

[heftone]

XP penalties are found on page 4 of the core rulebook. "A character lacking sufficient XP to pay an XP penalty must reduce his highest attribute to make change." I like your questions Marcellus. So far questions 1 and 4 have been answered. On number 2, my assumption would be that the re-roll would only be for checking a skill or combat. It wouldn't seem to make sense for calculating damage. I am also still unclear on how you would get an XP penalty, question 3.

[platimus]

Feb 27, 2018 23:34:19 GMT -5 heftone said:

XP penalties are found on page 4 of the core rulebook. "A character lacking sufficient XP to pay an XP penalty must reduce his highest attribute to make change." I like your questions Marcellus. So far questions 1 and 4 have been answered. On number 2, my assumption would be that the re-roll would only be for checking a skill or combat. It wouldn't seem to make sense for calculating damage. I am also still unclear on how you would get an XP penalty, question 3.

Oh wow. I have copies of the 2017, 2016, 2015, and 2012 rules on my computer. I looked through them all and couldn't find the quoted text. I downloaded the rules from the website just now and there it is. Two paragraphs about it. And the rules still have a copyright date of 2017. Interesting!

[mister frau blucher]

Hmm, that is the first time I have seen it in the rules as well. George might have made a change, or it is more likely that an artifact from an older version of the rules might have crept back in during an update. If it was intentional, there might be a choice in a new advnture that takes away XP. I'll find out from the man and update here.

Re-rolling a dice set just means that you can us a Karma point to re-roll an attack, or damage dice, or a skill check. Essentially, it is an immediate do-over on a particular dice roll.

[mister frau blucher]

OK, spoke with George, and this made it into the rules last November or so, as a lesser penalty than getting a Curse. It arose from the last adventure he had written. Rather than make it a scenario-specific rule, it became official. We are going to redo the wording to add some context, but it does make sense to have a lesser Karmic penalty than a Curse, and characters that survive multiple adventures need to be held back somehow!

[platimus]

Mar 20, 2018 15:17:22 GMT -5 mister frau blucher said:

OK, spoke with George, and this made it into the rules last November or so, as a lesser penalty than getting a Curse. It arose from the last adventure he had written. Rather than make it a scenario-specific rule, it became official. We are going to redo the wording to add some context, but it does make sense to have a lesser Karmic penalty than a Curse, and characters that survive multiple adventures need to be held back somehow!

That was my guess...that there is something in Punisher's Keep about this. XP drain would be a great power for Vampires and Lichlords and the like.